If you travel the same route over a period of a year, encourage your carschoolers to keep a record of seasonal changes. Look for a natural setting along the way (a park, a community garden, a grove of trees, a field, a bay or lake or river), and at the change of seasons stop at your designated “nature spot” and really look around. What do the plants and trees look like? Are there any animals, insects, or bird? Pay attention to the possibility of migrating birds at certain times of the year. Notice what the squirrels are doing.
Encourage carschoolers to sketch or photograph the scene and put photos in a journal. Tell carschoolers too record the date and time near the photo or sketch. Do this four times during the year on or near the change of seasons:
March 23—Vernal (Spring) Equinox
June 22—Summer Solstice
September 23—Autumnal Equinox
December 22—Winter Solstice
Each time you stop; have your carschoolers compare their sketches to their previous records. At the end of one year, carschoolers’ photos and sketches will document the history of the change of seasons where they live.
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